The present invention relates generally to low-water toilet systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to using mechanical means to transport waste away from a toilet.
Common toilet systems currently in use consume large amounts of water. There are several reasons for this. First, water acts as a transport medium allowing waste to travel through piping networks. Second, water blocks odors from waste and from sewer systems from reaching users. As populations grow, however, natural resources may become scarcer, increasing the need to conserve water. As such, there has been much effort devoted to creating low-water toilet systems.
As populations age, there is also an increasing need for daily health monitoring systems for early detection of preventable illnesses. Ideally, such health monitoring systems would perform their duties with as little inconvenience to the individual being monitored as possible. A variety of information about a person's health can be derived from their excrement. As such, there have been various attempts to incorporate health monitoring systems into toilet systems which people use every day.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,474 to Ogura et al., which is incorporated herein for all that it contains, discloses a toilet apparatus comprising a detecting sensor for detecting constituents in the feces, urine, or both of a user, and an indicator for indicating or informing the user of his health based upon abnormalities in the constituents detected by the sensor. It has been found that the amount of water used in many current toilet systems dilutes samples thus hindering health monitoring. Thus, in health-monitoring toilet applications, the need for low-water solutions is even greater.
One attempt to create a low-water toilet is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,649 to Miya, which is incorporated herein for all that it contains. Miya discloses a defecating system in which foam is provided. Excrement is sealed by the foam visually, odorproofly, and hygienically without necessity of an appreciable quantity of water. While the use of foam does reduce the water required, it tends to move significantly slower than water without additional propulsion means.
Another example of a low-water toilet system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,231 to Breiing et al., which is incorporated herein for all that it contains. Breiing et al. discloses means for transporting a material from a toilet pan into a sanitation pipe comprising two valves which are arranged in a pipe and a pressure chamber disposed in-between. Rather than water, the pressure chamber creates suction which transports the waste. Accurate control of the multiple valves and pressure chamber are necessary which may increase complication and cost.
An example of a health-monitoring toilet system that attempts to mitigate water dilution is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,550 to Ikenaga et al., which is incorporated herein for all that it contains. Ikenaga et al. discloses a toilet with a device for measuring constituents of voided urine. The toilet has a urine reservoir having a surface contiguous to a bowl surface including a urine receiving surface. Urine examined by the measuring device is sampled from the urine reservoir before it enters any water.
While there have been various attempts at producing both low-water toilets and health-monitoring toilets there is still much room for improvement in the art.